Weiler-Babb
Haliburton
Wigginton
Shayok
Lard
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Horton-Tucker (starter-like minutes spelling the wings, come in and bully the opponents' bench when they are tired and he is completely fresh... I know he can score, but his defense is suspect, he is a better bench gunner right now)
Jacobson (okay if he still starts, though Lard might end up playing just as many/more minutes and probably finishes games, as we saw down in Stillwater)
Young (still need the big guy for bench depth)
Lewis / Talley (and only spot minutes at best, sorry guys)
I can buy into this. Wonder if THT would have issues coming off the bench. We'll see how Prohm plays it. Jacobson had such a good noncon, but he really struggles as our big man when the opponent has skill & athleticism inside (Iowa w/ Cook; most of the B12). He really needs to play with Lard or Young so we're not exposed on D & the boards, but I don't know how much Prohm will do that - probably so against really big teams (don't know who that is in conference - Baylor always seems to have eight 7-footers, but I haven't watched them).
Yep, I was definitely projecting re: Jacobson in the B12. I'm not down on him as a player, and he provides good O (usually; hopefully, last night was a blip) and hustles; he just doesn't provide a defensive presence in the lane. I think that'll be more important as we go through conference and think he'll need to be paired with Young or Lard if he's in for long stretches. Don't know if Prohm will do that. Don't know if he should. Quite a lot to sort out for the coaches.Hard to make generalizations based on one conference game, but I am leaning toward Haliburton starting and THT coming off the bench. Lard is starting to show why Prohm said ISU's ceiling is how well Lard regains/improves his game from last season. I still think Jacobson will be effective in the post, though perhaps less so due to increased competition vs conference big men.
The most important play last night, IMO, was Wigg finally hitting a 3 pointer, especially in crunch time. Not that he lacks in confidence in his shot, but all players at any level perform better when they're playing confidently. Hopefully, his shooting form returns just in time for KU. Got nosebleed seats for the game, but it'll be worth it to be in Hilton for the biggest home game of the season. It'll come down to defensive execution in the last 2 minutes, I think being able to clamp down in the second half last night as well as the last 5 minutes of the Drake game will serve the team well. Sounds like they realize playing good D is the key to a successful season.
Yep, I was definitely projecting re: Jacobson in the B12. I'm not down on him as a player, and he provides good O (usually; hopefully, last night was a blip) and hustles; he just doesn't provide a defensive presence in the lane. I think that'll be more important as we go through conference and think he'll need to be paired with Young or Lard if he's in for long stretches. Don't know if Prohm will do that. Don't know if he should. Quite a lot to sort out for the coaches.
I don't disagree with that. Primary issue is no defensive presence inside. Doesn't mean he shouldn't play, just that who he plays with has to matter - as well as who we're playing against. If other team doesn't have size or has "Euro" big men, not much of an issue. If bangers/teams that go to the hoop, more of a problem. If our guards are better on the ball on D, that'll help in some cases too.Jacobsen is pretty good at positioning for rebounds.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but Haliburton needs to be on the floor as much as possible. If that requires less mins for THT or for him to come off the bench then it needs to happen. This isn't to say THT isn't good or doesn't deserve to start but with how this team is comprised (ball dominant players like MS and Wiggs), it needs what Haliburton can bring. That's why Babb is crucial too. These 2 can be productive without the ball. THT not as much.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but Haliburton needs to be on the floor as much as possible. If that requires less mins for THT or for him to come off the bench then it needs to happen. This isn't to say THT isn't good or doesn't deserve to start but with how this team is comprised (ball dominant players like MS and Wiggs), it needs what Haliburton can bring. That's why Babb is crucial too. These 2 can be productive without the ball. THT not as much.
This is going to be an unpopular opinion but Haliburton needs to be on the floor as much as possible. If that requires less mins for THT or for him to come off the bench then it needs to happen. This isn't to say THT isn't good or doesn't deserve to start but with how this team is comprised (ball dominant players like MS and Wiggs), it needs what Haliburton can bring. That's why Babb is crucial too. These 2 can be productive without the ball. THT not as much.
Jacobson isn't as good of a clean up rim defender as Lard, but is a better man to man defender and better against guards if caught in a switch and is much better in pick and roll defense. Young is better than Jacobson in man to man post defense especially against beefier posts who try to bully their way into the lane but offers less on offense. Jacobson can stretch the defense better than both of them.Yep, I was definitely projecting re: Jacobson in the B12. I'm not down on him as a player, and he provides good O (usually; hopefully, last night was a blip) and hustles; he just doesn't provide a defensive presence in the lane. I think that'll be more important as we go through conference and think he'll need to be paired with Young or Lard if he's in for long stretches. Don't know if Prohm will do that. Don't know if he should. Quite a lot to sort out for the coaches.